The invention relates to a transport container for unit goods. In a preferred application, the container serves to transport cycles, in particular motorcycles.
Conventionally, cycles are transported in wooden casings which have to be put together especially and later painstakingly dismantled again.
This process holds the danger of accidents, it is not possible to re-use the casing, and disposing of it provides additional problems. In addition, import restrictions exist in many countries for wooden packaging, requiring special treatment.
A metal transport container for accommodating wound reels is known from DE 91 13 312 U1. It consists of a sub-frame and a bracket attached to it, each composed of square pipes. The sub-frame is formed as a rectangular frame in the manner of pallets, with capped longitudinal and transverse struts, and is underpinned by higher support bearers creating a free space towards the ground, such that the forks of a forklift truck can grip and handle the sub-frame. The sub-frame forms corner posts, into which the bracket is inserted. The bracket is composed of two side walls which each consist of two posts and a middle console connecting them to each other. A number of such containers can be stacked on top of one another. The structure is very complex in its entirety, and not least for this reason may have a considerable weight.
It is an object of the invention to provide a transport container for unit goods which has a low weight but is nonetheless stabile.
A transport container in accordance with the invention consists of at least a plastic base structure which forms the base of the container, a plastic cover, a number of columns and a bracing formed by a number of traction means. The base structure is preferably torsion-resilient and bend-resilient in its own right. It can for example be a plastic pallet, i.e. a structure jointed together from longitudinal and transverse struts and possibly other plastic parts. The cover can also be formed by a plastic pallet, which can be identical to the plastic pallet used for the base. More preferably, the plastic cover is manufactured from plastic by injection moulding or in another primary moulding process. The columns extend from the plastic base structure to the cover. They are borne by the plastic base structure, and in turn bear the cover. Furthermore, the columns are connected both to the plastic base structure and to the cover, in each case in a positive lock. The traction means are flexible in the sense that in practice they can only transfer traction forces. Thus, the traction means can be formed in particular by traction ropes, traction belts or traction bracings, though in principle also by other elongated, thin traction force transfer members. The already extant, positive-locking compound of the plastic base structure, the plastic cover and the columns is tensed using the traction means, and together with the traction means forms the bracings of a latticework which forms the transport container. To this end, the traction means or at least some of the traction means are diagonally tensed between two columns, preferably between two adjacent columns. In this way, the traction means form the diagonal bracings of the latticework between two columns. Each traction means is tensed between two fixing points. Essentially, a single traction means can be tensed from one fixing point to the next, next-but-one, etc. In this case as well, the term traction means in the sense illustrated directly above is used in the plural. The traction means are preferably each fixed in a first connection area, in which one of the columns and the plastic base structure are connected to each other in a positive lock, and in a second connection area, in which another of the columns and the plastic cover are connected to each other in a positive lock. By fixing in this way, nodes of a latticework are formed, in which each of the plastic base structure or the plastic cover, one of the columns and one of the traction means converge as the bracings of the latticework.
In preferred embodiments, the columns are also made of plastic. The columns are particularly preferably hollow profiles and can in particular be basic plastic pipes. Forming the columns as hollow profiles is also in particular advantageous for establishing the positive-lock connections at the ends of the columns, on the one hand to the plastic base structure and on the other to the plastic cover. Thus, the positive-lock connection can be established both by a neck bearing in the hollow cross-section of the respective column and, as in the case of columns made of solid material, by inserting the column in question into a hollow space formed on the plastic base structure and/or the plastic cover. The connection between the columns and the plastic base structure and/or the plastic cover is preferably not only a positive lock but additionally also a frictional lock. In a preferred embodiment, the columns are each connected both to the plastic base structure and to the plastic cover by way of a plug-in connection.
Designing the columns in accordance with the invention, such that they preferably extend freely between the plastic base structure and the cover, i.e. individually and without rigid transverse connections, and in particular are not connected to each other by heavy wall parts, saves on weight. High stability can nonetheless be achieved by way of the bracing using traction means which as a result tense the plastic base structure and the plastic cover against the columns and therefore towards each other. The invention utilises the fact that a latticework design such as is well known in other areas, for example in structural engineering, can also be usefully employed in designing a transport container, in order to obtain high stability in the transport container, for a comparatively low weight. Although the transport container formed as a latticework already exhibits excellent stability in its own right, the unit good to be transported, or the number of unit goods as the case may be, can also additionally be integrated into the latticework, in order to further increase the stability of the transport container including the unit good.
The plastic base structure is preferably a plastic pallet as set forth in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/162,971 by the Applicant. The disclosure content of this application for the plastic base structure of the transport container is hereby referenced. The fundamental idea of this older application is to form the plastic pallet from a plurality of plastic profiles, i.e. from hollow plastic profiles and plastic foot elements extending perpendicular to the hollow profiles. The hollow profiles and the foot elements are connected to each other by means of jointing connections. A welded connection is a preferred jointing connection. However, an adhesive connection, a screw connection or in particular a purely plug-in connection can also be advantageous. A combination of a plug-in connection and one of the other jointing connections is advantageous. As already disclosed in the older application, it is also preferably for the transport container in accordance with the invention if extrusion profiles form the hollow profiles and injection-moulded parts form the foot elements. By forming for example free-standing, i.e. projecting, standing feet for the foot elements and providing connecting extrusion profiles, the function and shaping process are combined in the plastic pallet.
In an alternative embodiment, the plastic base structure is formed by injection moulding, preferably as one piece. As appropriate, the base structure could for example also be obtained by mould-pressing.
Each of the traction means is preferably tensed diagonally between two columns directly adjacent to one another on one side of the plastic base structure and the plastic cover. Furthermore, it is particularly preferable for the traction means to be fixed to the plastic base structure and the plastic cover. One advantage of fixing in this way is that the columns can be formed as extrusion profiles, preferably without attachment parts. The cover and the plastic base structure can be formed with corresponding fixing means for the traction means, which is possible without any problems because the plastic base structure or at least foot elements of the base structure are preferably formed in a primary moulding process, in particular as injection-moulded parts. Other functional elements, for example plug-in elements for the columns, fixing elements for unit good lashing bracings, a wheel cavity for wheeled vehicles, in particular cycles, or receptacles or bearings for an axle, can also be integrated into such a shaping manufacturing process. This saves on subsequent attachments or installations. The plastic cover can also be formed as an injection-moulded part, such that in this case too corresponding fixing elements for the traction means can be formed without any problems, directly during original forming. In principle, the same advantages can be obtained by forming the plastic base structure as a whole or just the foot elements of the plastic base structure and/or the plastic cover by pressing and possibly subsequently sintering. The cover can also advantageously be formed by way of re-shaping, for example by embossing or deep-drawing.
Polypropylene is a preferred plastic material both for the plastic base structure and for the plastic cover and preferably also for the columns. The plastic parts can in particular be formed from a plastic regenerate, in particular the polypropylene cited.
Other, particularly preferred features are described in the sub-claims. Some of the sub-claims in particular describe a transport container which is in principle advantageous even without the bracing by means of the traction means in accordance with the invention. The Applicant therefore reserves the right to separately claim the embodiments described therein. The same applies to the plastic base structure and the plastic base structure. The Applicant therefore reserves the right to direct protection separately to the plastic base structure and wherein a transport container has its subject only in preferred developments.